Netflix Mulls “Skip Intro” Button, Mobile-Friendly Cuts

This week, two separate reports brought two potential Netflix features to our attention. First, the company’s chief product officer said during briefing with journalists that mobile-specific cuts of streaming content could be on the horizon. Then, over the weekend, several Netflix users noted the appearance of a “skip intro” button that allowed the to fast-forward through the opening credits of a show.

Netflix chief product officer Neil Hunt said “it’s not inconceivable that you could take a master [copy] and make a different cut for mobile.” Such cuts would help out mobile viewers who may not be watching shows and movies in the optimal light of a living room. While Hunt did not note any specific plans to introduce alternatively-lit versions of Netflix content, he did say the company plans to explore that area in coming years.

The “skip intro” button, meanwhile, has already been introduced in A/B testing. Some users who have seen the button have praised it publicly on Twitter. “The ‘skip intro’ button on Netflix is so great,” reads one of the tweets shared by CNN, “[because] after watching the 12th episode in one day you get a little tired of hearing the song.”

These potential changes remind us that Netflix, despite being an industry leader, continues to innovate new features. Netflix spokesperson Smita Saran told CNN that the streaming service runs “hundreds” of A/B tests each year.